Is Game 3 loss slap in the face needed by Heat?

ASK IRA:

Q: I can't see Brooklyn having another 3-point performance like Saturday again. We needed this humble pie. -- Brandy.

A: Look, the Nets' 15 3-pointers were a franchise playoff record, so it's highly unlikely it will happen again (although the Heat's 3-point defense can be frightening lax at times). But there is never anything good about a playoff loss, and if the Heat truly needed an eye-opener, then they're not who we thought they were. To their credit, the Heat have shown a strong inclination to bounce back from playoff losses during this championship run. But, like Erik Spoelstra continues to stress, what happened before has nothing to do with this Heat team. The margin for error with this group is smaller. It just is. Win on Monday night, and there still is the possibility of ample rest before the next round. Lose Monday, and the Heat open the possibility of having to fly directly from Brooklyn on Friday to the start of the next round in Indiana, if the Pacers close out that series. No, Saturday wasn't as much about "humble pie" as a comeuppance.

Q: I am sorry, but with the Nets playing eight forwards, Michael Beasley should be getting playing time. He can score, and he can flat out play defense better than Lewis. -- Jeffrey.

A: I'm not sure about the defense, but I'm also not sure about how much Rashard Lewis is giving them at this point, either. But I will say this: The Nets know how to attack a defensive weak link, going directly at James Jones as soon as he entered Saturday. This really isn't about Lewis or Jones or Beasley. It's about Shane Battier having to give them more in this starting role.

Q: Is Greg Oden out of the rotation if the Heat play the Pacers? Udonis Haslem worked for one game, but I am not sure he will be the answer for seven-game series. -- Jeffrey.

A: I can't fathom reestablishing enough chemistry with Oden at this late date, considering he hasn't had any meaningful minutes since he so struggled in the first six minutes against Roy Hibbert in that loss in Indiana. Based on Oden's comments to Grantland.com and some of his body language, I just can't see him pushing himself back to the level of playoff intensity needed. No, I think there is a good chance Udonis Haslem would be back in the starting lineup if the Heat were to play the Pacers, and that the Heat likely would play Hibbert by committee, a committee that most likely would not include Oden.

May 10, 2014

Q: Whether they win it all or not ( I think they will) the Heat are showing in these playoff how much BS there is about regular-season records. This team is built for the playoffs. And I predicted (before the playoffs), homecourt in the Eastern Conference finals still will be theirs, as I don't think the Pacers will make it to the East finals. And the more I watch Erik Spoelstra, the more impressed I am. It can't be easy having so many potential Hall of Famers on a team and be able to manage them so well. He sure knows his players and what he can get out of them. -- Howard.

A: Two good points. And imagine if the Heat do win again this year after their lackadaisical regular-season approach? Next season, they could decide .500 is good enough, with Dwyane Wade perhaps taking half the season off. That's what makes it all the more challenging for Spoelstra, to get a system in place that is playoff viable without pushing his players too hard too early. This team has been built for the moments that matter the most. So far, Spoelstra and the Heat have been up to those moments.

Q: I have said this before regarding this series: If it's a close game, the Heat will take the fourth quarter. The big stars for the Nets are old, they are too tired (by NBA standards) to compete with Miami. -- Martin.

A: I'm still not sure, if I'm the Heat, I'd be comfortable with Paul Pierce having the ball in a one- or two-point game on the final possession. He still seems up to those moments. Kevin Garnett? That's another story. I think you might be selling the Nets' closers short. The key for Heat is to make sure the final two minutes are mere formalities, as they have done in the first two games of this series.

Q: I think Udonis Haslem has to come in put some toughness on Brooklyn. -- M.B.

A: Actually, I think the units the Heat have been playing have already provided that. What the Heat need are enough scoring options on the court to space the floor against what has become a pack-the-paint defense from Brooklyn. Not only doesn't this set up for Haslem, but even Chris Andersen didn't quite fit at the finish in Game 2.

May 9, 2014

Q: What if I told you Mirza Teletovic would score 20 points and Marcus Thornton 10 points for the Nets and the Heat would still win, what would you say? -- Stuart.